Tussle over Tossing
Photos by Adam Krawesky @ citynoise.org
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Wow! He is one angry lookin fella. What do you suppose happened?
This civic-minded grrl picked up litter he tossed from the window of his van, opened the door, and threw it back at him. Now, she was inviting trouble by responding in such a cavalier way, but man did he dish it out.
First, he got out and threw 2 cups of coffee on her, pushed her around, then got back in his car drove further down the block. After thinking on it some more, he decided two hot beverages in the face wasn't adequate punishment, so he stopped his van and tried to beat her up; this is where the photos begin. You are seeing his SECOND attack on this poor woman. Luckily, another woman jumped in to seperate them, who was soon followed by some more bystanders.
The cyclist has decided not to charge him with aggravated assault, as she could then be charged with mischief for invoking the argument, and scratching his car (which happened when he pushed her down). I don't know. The fact that he stopped his car, and started the fight all over again says to me that this guy needs some serious anger management.
However, the Toronto Star published these photos on their front page, so perhaps total public humiliation will suffice.
Who needs tar + feathers with cyber and print media these days?
She should be glad he didn't have a weapon. You just can't risk hollering at people anymore, they might stab you. Or throw hot coffee in your face. Did she over-react? Perhaps. But as a bike courier, I'll bet she sees people throw trash out of their windows everyday. The cumulative effect of that makes it understandable that she would open his bloody door and pitch it back.
The rest of the photos, along with dozens of comments, including some from Leah the bike-courier herself, can be found at:
http://www.citynoise.org/article/2770/by/hool
Be warned, the page takes forever to load.
Peace.
Labels: politics, pop culture
posted by Arty Povera @ 8:49 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
The problem is that people think they can escape the consequences of antisocial behaviour when they’re in their car because they can just roll up the window and speed away. When they have to atone for said behaviour they refuse to take responsibility.
-Steven Gray regarding this incident(a colleague of mine who is being charged with assault after a car driver got out of his car and tried to beat HIM up while he was on his bike)
I somewhat agree with Steven. Over the course of my years riding daily on Toronto city streets I have had quite a few ridiculous encounters with ridiculous car drivers (including one last week where a car intentionally cut me off only to slam on their brakes, then speed up, then slam on their brakes, then speed up...) I doubt very much if that person would have had the same reaction to me if there wasn't a two tonne vehicle seperating us.
However incidents like this do little to forge any connections between bikers and car drivers, and doesn't really help promote more bike riding or make non-bike riders feel like they want to try it out.
Yes SOME people are crazy (bikers and car drivers), but most aren;t crazy maniacs who are going to try and run you down and MOST would never dream of pulling a weapon on you. I think we should be careful of buying into the fear mongering tactics that keep people in their cars, scared to confront anyone with words and instead turning to weapons and violence. If people are scared in their own community how will they ever gain a sense of committment and responsibility to that community that will keep them from a) littering or b) feeling so threatened/insecure that they need to attack others to prove their own self worth.
Hi Stace,
I thought immediately of you when I read this story online. You have already told me countless tales of crazy confrontations between bikers and drivers; most of them instigated by drivers from behind the isolating comfort of their steel bubbles (but not always).
I think the problem is that people ARE scared in their own communities, already. I don't see people sticking up loudly for their rights/principles/community values in most situations. It's sad; it's a shame. I no longer yell after cars when a gross bugger hurls sexual obscenities at me from his protected enclosure. Why? Because I did just that on whyte avenue in the fall, to the approval and hilarity of my girlfriends, however that weekend a 19 year old women was fatally shot while exchanging heated words with someone in a car. [someone unknown to her, in a residential area].
Perhaps drawing this correlation is helping to perpetuate fear-mongering, but I was, and am, genuinely afraid as a result of that incident.
It's NOT fair. My year-long exercise in vocalizing my rage and indignation at being a constant sexual target (begun with you outside a Coffee Time in Toronto) has been supplanted by my desire to not get hurt.
Why? Because yelling after a disrespectful man may momentarily relieve my anger, but it will not teach him a lesson, will doubtfully change his future behaviour and could possibly make him angry enough to slam on his brakes, get out of his car and assault me.
a bit paranoid, yes, but I prefer to maintain an unassaulted body.
There are times of course where you can't help speak up. But you do have to be ready to put your money where your mouth is.
It's up to each individual to decide in that moment if they are ready to physically defend their values. It's totally a sad, sad state of affairs, but I don't know how this can be changed. At least the community itself is willing to step in and protect people who stand up for their values, as the bystanders did with Leah.
You boring feminist-man-hating-ecoconcious-cyclists bore me. Just because you're too ugly and angst ridden to get a man you have to waste your time "blogging" all of your societal beefs online to others like yourself so you can "unite" and form these terribly mundane "virtual communities."
Take some advice: 1. Grow your hair out (It didn't work for Sinead O'Connor or Ani, and it's not working for you) 2. Throw your street clogging bike in the trash, bicycles are for children on sidewalks and do not belong on the street with motorvehicles. And finally, 3. Go to a bar, find a man, and get laid. You need it. You and all the other Dr.Phil, Oprah watching losers in this world.
Hello anonymous, you brave scaliwag of a man (I assume), so confident of your opinions that you deign to leave your name...
Wow! Thanx for the comment, I'm glad you've spent some time thoroughly reading my blog, and have decided to share your enlightened thoughts.
A few corrections though:
Do you really think feminists watch Dr. Phil? or Oprah? I think you're confusing your stereotypes of women here, you may want to revise your pop-culture database. That goes for the Sinead O'conner and Ani references too, that's SOOOOOOOO 1994. Puh-lease, if you want to insult me, try to be relevant. And remember, feminists come in all disciplines, not just music.
Also, you seem to be assuming that all Feminists are women. Perhaps if you weren't so man-hating yourself you would realize that many men are feminists.
Finally, if indeed this is a serious comment (I'm not sure yet because this shit is so funny it is a parody of itself), let me clarify a few points for you:
I, a feminist, have: a man, long and luscious locks, am indeed eco-conscious thanks for noticing, and unfortunately do not own a bicycle at the moment and must walk or take the bus everywhere.
PS: I love the double-"bore" in your first sentence. you are a word-smith!
PPS: I have never had to go to a bar to pick-up a man. They usually approach me anywhere: the street, in a library, under the Eiffel Tower.... I'm sorry for you that your sexual attractiveness can only come across in the dim liquor-drenched lighting of a bar.
Thanks for adding some needed laughter to my day!
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